A reflection on WOTR’s 32-year journey translating grassroot watershed and climate resilience practice & research into state and national policies.
A Better Tomorrow
Stories, Practices, and Solutions
Just as a successful film relies on the combined talent of many contributors, the restoration of soils, watersheds, and landscapes depends on the collective energy of diverse stakeholders.
WOTR’s journey towards EbA began with its extensive experience in watershed development. This approach now recognises that the well-being of both people and nature is inextricably linked.
Maharashtra, leads in implementing water harvesting initiatives, with over 99% of its 97,062 water bodies being artificial. W-CReS collaborated with ATE Chandra Foundation to assess the impact of rejuvenation of water bodies five years after implementation.
The Government of Maharashtra, through its Department of Environment and Climate Change (DoE-CC), has joined forces with the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), a renowned non-profit organisation and think tank, to forge a path toward sustainable and resilient development.
The Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra, and the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), Pune, have come together in a pioneering non-financial agreement to spearhead the “Building Resilience in Agriculture and Allied Sectors in Rural Maharashtra” project that is aided by the India Climate Collaborative (ICC).
India is mostly a rural country. According to the 2011 Census, 68.8% of the population and 72.4% of the work force live in rural areas (Chand et al., 2017). 46% of the country’s income comes from the rural economy (Economic Times, 2021). 46% of the country’s income
Climate change is already happening. Rising temperatures leading to rise in natural disasters are already making headlines. This shifting phenomenon presents a considerable risk on the health of people, natural capital (like clean water and food) and world economies
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Innovation once drove survival and growth. Now, amid climate stress and inequality, it must shift toward impact, resilience, and long-term sustainability.
WOTR’s Annual Report 2024-25, Roots & Resilience, highlights rural resilience through science, technology, and tradition.
Across India, disasters are no longer singular events but a polycrisis—where climate extremes, ecological degradation, water stress, and livelihood insecurity interact and amplify one another
When we mix weather,climate and climate change terms together, it can lead to confusion about what actually caused an event, who is responsible, and what actions are most effective
Explore WOTR’s 13-year journey across villages in Odisha, reaching over one lakh people through community-led watershed and livelihood interventions.
The Global South is being asked to shoulder the world’s nature and climate ambitions while global finance continues to move decisively in the opposite direction.
Read a collection blogs which brings together five stories from WOTR’s blog, shaped by the everyday lives, struggles, and choices of people in rural India. Told from the ground up, these pieces reflect moments of resilience, learning, and collective effort around water, livelihoods, and social change.
A water storage capacity of 2.5 million litres was created, bringing 64.25 acres of barren land back under cultivation while reducing soil erosion and improving groundwater recharge.